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golden arm, to draw it out with, like those which are put up
over the goldbeaters’ shops. He was got up with such care,
and was so stiff, that he could hardly bend himself; being
obliged, when he glanced at some papers on his desk, after
sitting down in his chair, to move his whole body, from the
bottom of his spine, like Punch.
I had previously been presented by my aunt, and had
been courteously received. He now said:
‘And so, Mr. Copperfield, you think of entering into our
profession? I casually mentioned to Miss Trotwood, when
I had the pleasure of an interview with her the other day,’
- with another inclination of his body - Punch again - ‘that
there was a vacancy here. Miss Trotwood was good enough
to mention that she had a nephew who was her peculiar care,
and for whom she was seeking to provide genteelly in life.
That nephew, I believe, I have now the pleasure of ’ - Punch
again. I bowed my acknowledgements, and said, my aunt
had mentioned to me that there was that opening, and that
I believed I should like it very much. That I was strongly in-
clined to like it, and had taken immediately to the proposal.
That I could not absolutely pledge myself to like it, until I
knew something more about it. That although it was little
else than a matter of form, I presumed I should have an op-
portunity of trying how I liked it, before I bound myself to
it irrevocably.
‘Oh surely! surely!’ said Mr. Spenlow. ‘We always, in this
house, propose a month - an initiatory month. I should be
happy, myself, to propose two months - three - an indefinite
period, in fact - but I have a partner. Mr. Jorkins.’
